1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention lies within the tool rack art. In particular, it lies in the art of vehicle tool racks that are utilized with bumper fixtures, or bumper guards to support emergency vehicle and off-road vehicle tools.
2. THE PRIOR ART
The prior art related to this invention incorporates the storage and utilization of winches, jacks, and other devices that have been mounted on bumpers. The foregoing enable a vehicle to be drawn or hauled from certain locations when the vehicle is stuck.
It has also been common to place certain tools on racks and within vehicles in order to provide the vehicle with emergency brush clearing and vehicle removal equipment. In particular, it has been known to implace a shovel or some other digging means in an emergency or off-road vehicle to allow it to be dug out of a trench, rut, or off-road condition which caused the vehicle to stick in the surrounding terrain.
It has also been known in the prior art to incorporate a jack with a vehicle in order to allow a vehicle to be lifted with respect to certain terrain, to facilitate the removal of the vehicle, or lifting of it over certain obstacles or objects.
The prior utilization of such removal tools with vehicles has not allowed for an easy and ready transport of the tools. In particular, the tools have been placed in an awkward manner on the bumpers, or have been placed in the vehicle itself, thus creating certain storage problems, as well as inaccessibility.
This invention provides a tool rack that can be a combination bumper guard and bumper rack for holding the tools in a readily exposed position. The exposure of the tools in such a position allows them to be readily utilized in a facile manner. Furthermore, the tools are always held in a position that does not interfere with the general storage or interior facilities of the vehicle.
In addition to the foregoing, the tool rack allows a bumper guard action as well as a locking facility for holding the tools in tightened, locked, juxtaposition within the rack. This accommodates all the required tools for proper utilization and ease of use in a readily accessible position while at the same time allowing the locking thereof to the bumper of a vehicle without disturbing the interior orientation of the vehicle.
Thus, this invention provides many advantages over the prior art which shall be shown in detail in the following specification.